Hi! My name is Hank, and I'm about to turn 30.
I asked my partner for a pug for my birthday, and that idea didn't seem to get much traction. So, in my abundance of jobless free time, I've cooked up an alternative idea: hosting a Hankathon!
WHAT'S A HANKATHON?
It's a spinoff of a "hackathon (opens in a new tab)," which is an event where people get together to write code for multiple hours straight, cut corners on personal hygiene, and sleep on the floor. Bear with me here, it'll get better.
A Hankathon™ imbues a hackathon with the needs and desires of me (Hank): an aging millennial creative technologist.
Best parts of a hackathon
- Timeboxed creativity
- Make cool things with friends
- Learning about new tools/tech
Hank's needs and desires
- Unburdening myself from "productive" side projects
- Going to bed on time
- Eating snacks that don't make my tummy hurt
Put simply, I want to bring a bunch of people together and give you an excuse to spend the day making fun, weird, silly art+tech projects that otherwise are hard to carve out time for.
SO... WHAT ARE WE MAKING?
I'd love to see beautifully unhinged projects that have never graced this planet before. A massive LED upgrade to your bike? Yes please. A giant Labubu suit? Love it! A fire-shooting twinkie??? Probably not, but love the energy.
There are no hard rules on artistic media, but I'm imagining folks will gravitate towards:
- Arts, crafts, and arts & crafts
- Something something vibecoding
- Gadgets or gizmos
No particular skills are required. If you watch this video (opens in a new tab) and are left thinking, "wow, I wish I could do that," you are in the right place.
LOGISTICS
Here's the plan:
Friday, September 25 · Evening
An optional mixer to meet other makers, brainstorm ideas, and form project teams.
Saturday, September 26 · 10 AM-6 PM
A full day of making, with access to a large workspace and shared tools.
Also Saturday, September 26 · 7-10 PM
An open house to show off the projects, eat, drink, and be merry.
Saturday is at Seattle Makers, 3012 16th Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119.
JOIN THE HANKATHON
THE SATURDAY BUILD IS FULL. All 30 spots are spoken for.
If you're already registered, I'll add you to a Discord server where we'll share more details about what to bring and all that (maybe there'll even be a theme 🤷♀️).
Everyone else: come to the showcase that evening. No cap, everyone welcome. If you know someone who'd be into this, PLEASE INVITE THEM TO THAT! I'd love to better foster this sort of community in Seattle.
COME FOR THE SHOWCASE
On the evening of the 26th, everything made during the Hankathon goes on display. Come see the finished projects, meet the people who made them, and stay for drinks and a celebration of art+tech weirdness.
This event is open to all! Participation in the Hankathon is not required.
RSVP here (opens in a new tab) so I have a rough headcount.
INSTEAD OF A GIFT
Don't buy me presents, seriously! The greatest gift you could ever give would be to help support other makers. Go to an art fair or something!
If you really want to chip in for the events, you can venmo me here (opens in a new tab).
Or, help spread the word by generating your own personalized invite: